News

Friday News, September 21

Le Mars Community Celebrates Homecoming

(Le Mars) -- Today is Homecoming day for the Le Mars Community Schools. KLEM will broadcast both the coronation, as well as the Homecoming Day Parade. The crowing of the King and Queen will take place at 1:00 p.m. at the new Le Mars Community gym, and we will have the start of the parade at about 2:15 p.m.

King Holds Fundraiser and Features New Jersey Governor Chris Christie

(Sioux City) -- Congressman Steve King held a "Defenders of Freedom" fundraiser yesterday at noon, but he wasn't there. New Jersey Governor, Chris Christie was in Sioux City afternoon campaigning for Republican Congressman Steve King. King was not at his fundraiser as he had returned to Washington to fight for passage of a farm bill. Christie told supporters he had the Congressman's back, while King was in Washington. The governor says its critical that Republicans win the presidentcy and keep control of the U-S House because four more years of the Obama administration would mean "We the government" instead of "We the people..."

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The former federal prosecutor said he first met King at a Congressional hearing when Christie was running for Governor and being taken to task for his prosecution of a company involved in illegal business dealings.

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Christie says he got behind Mitt Romney early in the Presidential campaign and that Republicans need to fully unite behind him.

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Christie spoke for about a half-hour at the event hosted at Bev's On The River.

Christie Vislack Attacks King For Leaving Business Unfinished

(Ames) -- Democratic Congressional candidate, Christie Vilsack is criticizing Congressman Steve King for leaving unfinished business until after the election. Vilsack, who is seeking to unseat King in the new Iowa 4th District says Congressman King remains unwilling to work in the best interest of Iowans. She says if King was serious about passing a Farm Bill and supporting the rural economy, he would do the right thing and vote against allowing adjournment. Vilsack says "Congressman King's actions today are a reflection of his ten years in office. He has had ten years to stand up for the best interests of Iowa, but he has chosen not to."

Grassley Surprised By Iowa's "Battleground" Status

(Washington) -- Iowa has become known as a "battleground" state for the presidential election between President Barak Obama and Governor Mitt Romney, and that surprises Iowa Republican Senator Chuck Grassley.

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Grassley held a telephone news conference on Thursday.

Mercy Medical Center To Observe "Mercy Day"

(Sioux City) -- Mercy Medical Center of Sioux City will observe "Mercy Day" on Monday. Its a special day set aside to observe the rich faith tradition created by founder of Mercy Hospitals Sister Catherine McAuley. This year, Mercy Medical Center will honor the day with the dedication of the recently renovated Mercy Rehabilitation Courtyard. Thanks to the generosity of the Gilchrist Foundation and the Mercy Medical Center Foundation, the hospital has completely redone its outdoor rehabilitation courtyard with new benches, artwork, a water feature and other amenities designed to enhance the experience of patients and their families. The hospital community will gather at 10:30 a.m. on Monday to officially bless and dedicate the new courtyard.

Floyd Valley To Hold Stroke Screenings

(Le Mars) -- Floyd Valley Hospital and Northwest Iowa Diagnostics continues to provide stroke screenings. The next screening will be offered Tuesday, September 25th from 12:00 noon to 2:15 p.m. at the Floyd Valley Hospital. Participants are offered three separate screenings at $40 each, or all three stroke screenings are offered at $95.

Adams and Colt Join Floyd Valley Staff

(Le Mars) -- Floyd Valley Hospital has added two physical therapists to its staff. Nick Adams and Tarah Colt, both doctors of phyical therapy, began their duties this summer. Adams received his bachelors degree in Exercise Science from Northwestern College in Orange City. He received his doctorate degree from Des Moines University. Adams has special interests in balance rehabilitation and sports injury rehabilitation. Colt received her bachelors degree in Biology from Briar Cliff. She, also received her doctorate degree from Des Moines University. Colt has clinical training in orthopedics, traumatic brain injuries including strokes, and sports medicine. She has special interests in outpatient orthopedics and sports rehabilitation.

Authorities Find Marijuana In Storage Unit

JOHNSTON, Iowa (AP) - Court records say an unpaid storage bill led investigators to a suburban Des Moines home and the hundreds of marijuana plants inside. The records say the storage locker manager found gear used for growing marijuana inside the storage locker in November 2010. Detectives traced names on the unit lease to a man linked byutility bills to the house in Johnston that was raided Wednesday. The hundreds of plants ranged from seedlings to specimens up to 6 feet tall. Officers also seized more items from a house down the street. A man at the first house was arrested. He was identified as Timothy Lantz, who was charged with manufacturing a controlled substance.

BASF Acquires Becker-Underwood

AMES, Iowa (AP) - German-based chemical maker BASF had made a deal to buy Ames-based Becker Underwood, which makes seed treatment and other farm products. BASF says the purchase price is $1.02 billion. BASF is based in Ludwigshafen, Germany, and produces chemicals and plastics as well oil and gas and agricultural herbicides and fertilizers. BASF spokeswoman Anne Burt says final decisions haven't been made about the future of Becker Underwood's chief executive officer, Peter Innes, other managers or other workers. Becker has more than 210 employees in Ames; St. Joseph, Mo.; and Caldwell, Idaho; and nearly 270 more in several other countries. Becker Underwood was formed in 1982 by Jeff Becker and Roger Underwood. They sold controlling interest to Norwest Equity Partners of Minneapolis in 2004.

Man Sentenced To Prison After Burning Women's Clinic

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) - A man who tried to burn down an Iowa women's health clinic that he mistakenly thought performed abortions has been sent back to prison after violating the terms ofhis supervised release. U.S. District Judge John Jarvey sentenced David McMenemy to 3 months in prison this week. Federal probation officials say McMenemy failed to follow instructions or submit monthly reports and left their area without permission. McMenemy was arrested in Fraser, Mich., last month. McMenemy pleaded guilty in 2007 to arson and sentenced to 5 years in prison and 3 on supervised release for his attack on the Edgerton Women's Health Care Center in Davenport. He crashed hiscar into the lobby and lit a gasoline-filled bottle on fire. The clinic doesn't perform abortions or make abortion referrals.

Rural Economy Shows Weakness

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - The economy in rural parts of 10 Midwest and Western states continued to look weak in September as the drought weighed down agricultural businesses. A new survey of bankers in the region released Thursday showed that the overall economic index remained in negative territory at 48.3 in September. That was slightly better than August's 47.1 and July's 47.9, but any score below 50 on the 1-to-100 index suggests that the economy will contract in months ahead. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss in Omaha says the drought is already hurting businesses linked to agriculture like ethanol and farm equipment dealers. The survey covers rural areas of the Dakotas, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, and Minnesota. The confidence index was also weak at 43 in September, up from August's 39.6.

Thursday Afternoon News, Sept 20

Floyd Valley Hospital Adds Two Physical Therapists

(Le Mars) -- Floyd Valley Hospital has added two physical therapists to its staff. Nick Adams and Tarah Colt, both doctors of physical therapy, began their duties this summer. Adams received his bachelors degree in Exercise Science from Northwestern College in Orange City. He received his doctorate degree from Des Moines University. Adams has special interests in balance rehabilitation and sports injury rehabilitation. Colt received her bachelors degree in Biology from Briar Cliff. She, also received her doctorate degree from Des Moines University. Colt has clinical training in orthopedics, traumatic brain injuries including strokes, and sports medicine. She has special interests in outpatient orthopedics and sports rehabilitation.

Grassley Says Farm Bill Needs To Pass Before September 30th

(Washington) -- Iowa Republican Senator says some type of a farm legislation needs to pass Congress before September 30th, otherwise, he fears American agricultural policy will revert back to the 1940's. Listen to

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Grassley says Congress needs to perform atleast one of three options as it relates to the farm legislation.

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Grassley says the lack of a farm bill may not hurt farmers economically, but it does disrupt their long-term planning. He says farming involves a lot of long-term planning, and farmers need to know what types of crops can be planted.

Rural Electric Cooperatives Receive Federal Loans

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Rural electric cooperatives operating in Iowa, Nebraska and seven other states are getting federal loan guarantees to improve portions of their power lines and generatingsystems. The funding includes a $6.7 million loan guarantee for Nobles Electric Cooperative, which serves customers in northwest Iowa and Minnesota. Associated Electric Cooperative will get $24.6 million for improvements serving Iowa, Missouri and Oklahoma customers. The Gundy Electric Cooperative, operating in portions of Iowa and Missouri, has been selected for a $5 million loan guarantee. In Nebraska, the Midwest Electric Corp. gets a loan guarantee of $6.5 million. Other states served by funded projects include Georgia, Kansas, Texas, and Virginia. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary Dallas Tonsagera announced the $168 million loan program Thursday in Minneapolis at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

Dubuque County Changes Policy On Missing Children

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) - Dubuque County is changing its process for handling missing children. The county is now using an alert system called, "A Child is Missing." Dubuque County Sheriff Don Vrotsos decided to make the change in his county's policy after the two missing cousins in Black Hawk County weren't found. Lyric Cook and Elizabeth Collins are still missing after twomonths. Vrotsos says the new system will allow him to send out an automated telephone message to about 1,000 individuals per minute in the immediate area of the missing person. It can be used when any child, mentally ill, or elderly person disappears. The current Amber Alert system is only used when a child is in immediate danger and there's specific description of a vehicle or suspect.

Woman Attempts To Kill Baby

CENTERVILLE, Iowa (AP) - An Ohio woman has been arrested on Iowa charges that she tried to kill her baby. The Centerville (Iowa) Police Department says 23-year-old Kristina Kennedy-Maroney, of Hicksville, Ohio, was arrested on Wednesday. Kennedy-Maroney is in the Appanoose County jail, facing two counts of attempted murder and two counts of child endangerment. Police say Kennedy-Maroney tried to kill her 5- to 6-month-old child twice in September 2009 when she was living in Centerville.The Centerville police say Kennedy-Maroney told a Hicksville detective that she held the child's face under water in an apartment bathtub for about three seconds. She says that on a separate occasion she held a pillow over the child's face for about 10 seconds. Court records don't list the name of her attorney.